Clearing the air. Drake opened up about why he decided to collaborate with Chris Brown — who physically assaulted their mutual ex Rihanna — in an interview with “Rap Radar” released on Wednesday, December 25.
“Well, I think we’ve come together before and tried to link and make music,” the “God’s Plan” rapper, 33, explained of his relationship with Brown, 30. “I think we were always kind of forcing it. I think there was always resentment on both sides. You know, really at the end of the day, when you kind of step away from it and break it down, you start to feel silly because it’s over girl stuff. But obviously that can snowball into real s—t and that is what happened.”
Drake added that he was able to put aside his differences with the “Look at Me Now” crooner once he and Rihanna, 31, cooled off their on-off romance.
“Well, I think we both just grew up to the point that person that was kind of in the middle of us is like no longer a part of either of our lives currently, and I have the utmost love and respect for her,” he said. “I think of her as family more than anything and I felt — I actually had kind of a moment of hesitation before because I didn’t want her to ever feel disrespected by me linking up with him, but I also know how many nights she knows that me and him have both been consumed by this issue, and I think she is a good person with a good heart who would rather see us put the issue to bed than continue like childish s–t that could end up in a serious situation.”
While it’s unclear exactly when Drake and Rihanna dated, the “In My Feelings” rapper admitted on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2013 that the pair were together at one point.
“Yeah, great girl,” Drake said during a game talking about the women he’s dated. “We had our moment and [I’ll] always support and have love for her.”
The duo continued their flirty behavior over the years with Drake professing his love for the “We Found Love” songstress onstage at the MTV Music Video Awards in 2016. “She’s someone I’ve been in love with since I was 22 years old,” Drake admitted at the time. Drake kissed Rihanna on stage at his concert in Miami days later.
However, their relationship didn’t end on a positive note. Rihanna revealed in an interview with Vogue in 2018 that she and Drake “don’t have a friendship now, but we’re not enemies either. It is what it is.”
Brown, for his part, dated Rihanna from 2008 to 2009. The former couple split after Brown physically assaulted her, resulting in facial injuries. Brown was arrested and pleaded guilty to the charges. He was sentenced to five years of probation, community service and domestic violence counseling. The pair rekindled their relationship in 2012 before breaking up again in 2013.
